We use essential cookies (authentication, your saved goals/stack) by default. With your permission we’ll also enable privacy-respecting analytics (Vercel Web Analytics, anonymous load-time metrics) and error-replay diagnostics (Sentry — DOM snapshots only when an error fires) so we can fix bugs faster. Learn more about cookies
Ct9.5
Creatine Research
Likely helps
565 peer-reviewed studies
What the evidence says
Likely helps
Creatine appears to help in 19 of 23 studies with measurable effects — the evidence leans clearly favourable.
Most evidence is from high-quality meta-analyses and randomised trials published 1979–2026 with a typical study size of 57 participants.
Based on 565 studies · 69 meta-analyses · 453 RCTs · 28,533 total participants
Confidence
High confidence
What the studies found
19helped3unclear1didn't help· 542 more without graded effect data
Endurance & exercise performanceIncreases power output and repeated-sprint performance · 2-4 weeks
Likely helps77 studies
Therapeutic & clinical
Probably helps69 studies
Lean body mass & muscle growth5-15% strength gains · 2-4 weeks
Likely helps65 studies
RecoveryFaster muscle recovery · 1-2 weeks
Mostly mechanism / observational38 studies
Cognitive functionImproves working memory and cognitive performance, especially under stress · 4-8 weeks
Likely helps35 studies
Safety profile
Likely helps25 studies
By the numbers
Pulled from 62 studies with measurable effects
Likely real effects
68%
across studies
People studied
29k
typical study: 57 people
Strongest designs
522
69 pooled, 453 randomised
Showed benefit
83%
19/23 studies
How long studies ran
1–4 weeks
4
1–3 months
3
3+ months
5
Populations Studied
General population7
Older adults4
women across reproductive stages1
Females taking oral creatine monohydrate1
Steady research
143 studies in the last 5 years · Latest meta-analysis: 2026
197920022026
1Meta-Analysisn=608 · large study2026
In postmenopausal women, creatine, particularly ≥ 5 g·day⁻¹ with RT, yields small but meaningful gains in lean mass and strength without evidence of harm.
Naddafha S et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2026)
Lean mass (k = 5; n = 338) favored creatine: mean difference (MD) + 0.37 kg (95% CI + 0.05 to + 0.69; I² = 25%; τ² = 0.01; 95% PI -0.10 to + 0.84).
Leg-press 1RM (k = 3; n = 111) improved with creatine: MD + 7.5 kg (95% CI + 2.2 to + 12.8; I² = 0%).
In postmenopausal women, creatine, particularly ≥ 5 g·day⁻¹ with RT, yields small but meaningful gains in lean mass and strength without evidence of harm.
2muscle mass and bone healthMeta-Analysisn=763 · large study2026
Current evidence does not support robust additive effects of nutritional supplementation on muscle mass or bone health when combined with exercise in women across reproductive stages.
Chen KH et al. · International journal of medical sciences (2026)
No clear effect
← WorseNo effectBetter →
Could be chance
The combined intervention showed no significant effects on muscle mass measures: skeletal muscle mass (g=0.065, 95% CI: -0.353 to 0.482, p=0.762), appendicular lean mass (g=0.197, 95% CI: -0.177 to 0.571, p=0.302), or fat-free mass (g=0.069, 95% CI: -0.110 to 0.249, p=0.447).
Significant improvements occurred in bench press (g=0.279, 95% CI: 0.008 to 0.550, p=0.043) and handgrip strength (g=0.412, 95% CI: 0.039 to 0.786, p=0.031).
No significant effects emerged for bone mineral content (g=0.195, 95% CI: -0.281 to 0.671, p=0.421) or bone mineral density (g=0.087, 95% CI: -0.129 to 0.303, p=0.430).
More well-powered trials in underrepresented groups, particularly women and older adults, are needed to clarify population-specific responses.
Kazeminasab F, Kerchi AB, Sharafifard F, Zarreh M, Forbes SC, Camera DM, Lanhers C, Wong A, Nordvall M, Bagheri R, Dutheil F. · Nutrients (2025)
Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random-effects modeling.
Additionally, creatine supplementation combined with exercise training revealed no significant differences in handgrip strength [WMD = 4.26 kg, p = 0.10] and leg press strength [WMD = 3.129 kg, p = 0.11], when compared with the placebo.
Furthermore, subgroup analysis based on age revealed significant increases in bench and chest press [WMD = 1.81 kg, p = 0.002], leg press [WMD = 8.30 kg, p = 0.004], and squat strength [WMD = 6.46 kg, p = 0.001] for younger adults but not for older adults.